is office the year before he died.

=Richard Ashton= (1438-1471) took great pains about the regulation of
the services in the church, and drew up a customary out of the ancient
usages of the place.

=William Ramsey= (1471-1496) appears to have devoted his time to the
management of the estates and to upholding the territorial privileges of
the house. If the epitaph formerly to be seen on a brass on his tomb is
to be believed, he was a man prudent, just, pious, esteemed by all,
chaste, kind, and adorned with every virtue.

=Robert Kirton= (1496-1528) has left several proofs of his energy in
building, signing, as it were, the stones with his autograph. His
rebus, a kirk on a ton, sometimes accompanied by the initial of his
Christian name, is to be seen in the New Building, which he completed,
on the Deanery gateway, and on the graceful oriel window in the Bishop's
Palace. The chamber to which this window gives light still retains the
name originally given of "Heaven's Gate Chamber." Much other work done
by him towards the beautifying of the church and buildings has perished.

The last abbot was =John Chambers= (1528-1540). One incident of
considerable interest is related as having taken place in his first
year. "Cardinal Wolsey came to Peterburgh, where he kept his Easter.
Upon Palm Sunday he carried his palm, going with the monks in
procession, and the Thursday following he kept his Maundy, washing and
kissing the feet of fifty-nine poor people, and having dried them, he
gave to every one of them 12d. and three ells of canvas for a shirt; he
gave also to each of them a pair of shoes and a portion of red herrings.
On Easter day he went in procession in his cardinal's vestments, and
sang the High-Mass himself after a solemn manner, which he concluded
with his benediction and remission upon all the hearers." This abbot was
a native of Peterborough, and was sometimes known as John Burgh; and on
the brass placed on his tomb he was called "Johannes Burgh, Burgo
natus." A monumental effigy was also erected to him, "made of white
chalkstone"; and this is almost certainly the figure now placed
(temporarily) at the back of the apse. This abbot was B.D. of Cambridge
and one of the king's chaplains. It was during his time that Queen
Katherine of Arragon was interred in the minster. The well-known story
that the building was spared by the king out of regard to the memory of
his first wife is told by Dean Patrick in these words:--[3